Combination book cover and handbag or wallet



B. MAIER se t'. 19, 1950 COMBINATION BOOK-COVER AND HANDBAG 0R WALLET INVENTOR BETTY IZQ/E'R Filed Feb. 25. 1947 ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 19, 1950 COMBINATION BOOK C'OVER'AND HANDBAG OR WALLET Betty Maier, New York, N. Y.

Application February 25, 1947, Serial No.730;835

4 Claims.

pearance of a handbag and which is also preferably provided with compartments for holding coins, cards, snap shots or other articles. Instead of having the appearance of a handbag, saidbook holder may have the appearance of a Wallet, the handbag handles being omitted.

The invention is particularly advantageous and well. adapted for use by young children, although it may be applied to book covers and carrying cases. for older children and also for adults, as it is especially suitable for vuse in connection with small and inexpensive books having paper or other covers. It is well adapted to encourage reading habits in young children by making the books attractive to them. When the book cover and case is in theform of a handbag, it is. especially attractive to little girls, because the latter like to emulate their older sisters or their mothers in respect to they carrying of ladies handbags. Similarly, small boys like to possess or carry wallets, so that the book-cover or case is attractive to. them in the form of .the invention which thehandles are omitted.

The above. and other objects,. features and advantages of my invention will be fully understood: from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the. drawings: I

Fig. l is a side view of a combination book'- c over and handbag embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an end view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the book cover and handbag in open condition Fig 4 is a sectional. view onthe line 4-5-4 of Fig.3.

Referring now to the drawings indetail', the present. invention is shown embodied in the form of an article In which may be briefly described as a combination book-cover and little girls handbag having carrying handles IZ. Said cover or bag may be made of any suitable sheet mate- 'rial, for example, leather, simulated leather,

cloth, etc., and as here shown comprises the opposite side walls M and N5, formed preferably in one piece, and relatively i'ol'dable along a medial portion l'8' which forms thebottom' of the handbag when said side walls 14 and F6 are 2. folded into confronting or bag-closed relation, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

A book B is shown disposed in the handbag and cover Ill between side Walls I 4 and I6 so as to be covered by the latter in both the open and closed conditions of the handbag and so as to be supported in position to be carried conveniently when the handbag is closed. Compartment-forming wall members 20 and 22, which may be formed of the same material as the outer sideof the bag or case are secured to the outer side walls 14 and I 6, respectively, over the inner surfaces thereof. The compartments are indicated at 24 and 2B and as shown are closed at three peripheral side edges of the case, but

are open adjacent foldable portion 18 of the case to receive the front and back covers 28 and 30 of the book B, for covering the book and for holdin the latter in the bag or case.

Side wall M is preferably provided with a window opening 32 having a transparent cover 34 of celluloid (or other suitable material), so that the title of the book on the front cover 28 thereof is visible through the handbag or case in the closed condition thereof. Compartment 26,

formed by walls H5 and 22, may also be used to contain snap shots or other articles which may be viewed thrOugh the transparent cover 36 of the window opening 38 which is provided in inner wall 2 2.

The bag or case l0 isprovid'ed with a compartment 40 which is open at the top of the case-whenthe latter is fol'ded as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 and also when the case is unfolded as illustratedin Figs. 3 and 4. Said compartment is formed by wall 211 and .by a wall 42 of substantially the same size as wall 2|]. Said walls are stitched or otherwise joined. at their inner edges 44 and at their edges at the sides it of the case, but are free of each other at the edge 48' of the. case which is at the top of the case: A closure fastener here shown as a foldable fl'ap- Ell,v is provided for compartment 40.

Said flap 50 is secured to the case at the inner side thereof and is fold-able over the outer side wall M which. is provided with a; snap fastener element 52% for the. companion snap fastener element 54 carried by said flap. Coins or other money, cards and other articles may be placed in compartment 48.. It will be noted that the case I O. maybe folded and unfolded without interierence by the closure for compartment 40', and that access may be had to said compartment without unfolding the case.

additional compartment 56-is provided in the bag or case to receive cards or other articles. Compartment 56 is formed by Wall 42 and by a wall 58, provided with a transparent cover 59, which are stitched or joined together at side edges 46 and top edge 48 of the case but which are free of securement to each other at the inner edge 60 of wall 58, thus providing said compartment 56 with an opening for the insertion and removal of articles therefrom when the case is unfolded. It will .be noted that the openings of compartments 2E and 56 are closed by intermediate portion l8 of the case When the latter is folded, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

The combination book-cover and case H] was hereinbefore referred to as a handbag and as such is highly attractive to small girls, but said case, the handles I2 being omitted, is also highly attractive to small boys, because said case without the handles has the appearance of and possesses the functions of a pocket wallet or bill fold. The combination case and book-cover, with or without the handles indicated at l2 in the drawings, is not only highly useful as bookcover and receptacle for carryin a book and other articles but, as hereinbefore pointed out, is highly useful in the education of young children since it provides an attractive appeal to such children whereby to encourage the latter to read properly selected books and pamphlets placed for that purpose in the cases of this invention. It will be understood that any particular book may be readily removed from the case and replaced by another book.

The case It may also be used as a picture frame, the book being removed and the handles being omitted or removed by cutting them oil. The photographs may be placed in the compartments 28 and 56 and are visible through the transparent covers 36 and 59 of said compartments, respectively. In this connection it will be noted that case it when used as a frame may be mounted in upright position on an edge, for example as shown in Fig. 3 but with parts l4, I5 in diverging relation from portion 18.

Various changes in the details of construction and in the arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the underlying idea of the invention within the scope of the appended claims, and it will be understood that unless otherwise stated in the claims the term case includes Within its scope a wallet or bill fold as well as a handbag.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A combination book-cover and case comprising outer side walls relatively foldable at a line between the opposite outer ends thereof for covering a book placed between said walls, inner walls forming holding means and compartments to receive and hold the covers of a book, said inner walls completely overlying said outer walls except for a, medial portion formed by the latter at said line, said portion being adapted to engage the back of the book, the covers of said book being substantially completely insertable into said compartments, an additional wall completely overlying one of said inner walls at the inner side thereof and forming a compartment therewith, said first mentioned compartments having entrance openings adjacent the adjacent inner ends of said outer side walls, and said last mentioned compartment being closed at three sides and havingan entrance opening at the outer end of the adjacent outer wall and accessible externally of the case at the outer end of one of said outer side walls, said additional wall having a part foldable over the outer surface of the adjacent outer wall, and separable fasteners on said part and on said adjacent outer wall for releasably securing said part to said adjacent outer wall for closing said entrance opening to said last mentioned compartment.

2. A combination book-cover and case comprising outer side Walls relatively foldable at a line between the opposite outer end thereof for covering a book placed between said walls, inner walls forming holding means and compartments to receive and hold the covers of a book, said inner walls completely overlying said outer walls except for a medial portion formed by the latter at said line, said portion being adapted to engage the back of the book, the covers of said book being substantially completely insertable into said compartments, an additional wall completely overlying one of said inner walls at the inner side thereof and forming a compartment therewith, said first mentioned compartments having entrance openings adjacent the adjacent inner ends of said outer side walls, and said last mentioned compartment being closed at three sides and having an entrance opening at the outer end of the adjacent outer wall and accessible externally of the case at the outer end of one of said outer side walls, and a wall superimposed on the inner side of said additional wall and secured to said additional wall at its outer end and at its side edges forming a compartment closed at three sides and having an opening adjacent the inner end of said additional wall, said superimposed wall having a window opening for exposing to view the contents of said last mentioned compartment.

3. A combination book-cover and case comprising outer side walls relatively foldable at a line between the opposite outer ends thereof for covering a book placed between said walls, inner walls forming holding means and compartments to receive and hold the covers of a book, said inner walls completely overlying said outer walls except for a medial portion formed by t e latter at said line, said portion being adapted to engage the back of the book, the covers of said book being substantially completely insertable into said compartments, one of said inner walls having a window opening therein, an additional .wall overlying the other of said inner walls at the inner side thereof and forming a compartment therewith, said first mentioned compartments having entrance openings adjacent the adjacent inner ends of said outer side walls, and said last mentioned compartment being closed at three sides and having an entrance opening at the outer end of the adjacent outer wall and accessible externally of the case at the outer end of one of said outer side walls, and a wall superimposed on the inner side of said additional wall and secured to said additional wall at its outer end and at its side edges forming a compartment closed at three sides and having an opening adjacent the inner end of said additional wall, said superimposed wall having a window opening formed therein companion to said first mentioned window opening.

4. A combination book-cover and case comprising outer side walls relatively foldable at a line between the opposite outer ends thereof for covering a book placed between said walls, inner walls forming holding means and compartments to receive and hold the covers of a book, one

, of said inner walls having a window opening therein, an additional wall overlying the other of said inner walls at the inner side thereof and forming a compartment therewith, said first mentioned compartments having entrance openings adjacent the adjacent inner ends of said outer side walls, and said last mentioned compartment being closed at three sides and having an entrance opening at the outer end of the adjacent outer wall and accessible externally of the'case at the outer end of one of said outer side walls, and a wall superimposed on the inner side of said additional Wall and secured to said additional wall at its outer end and at its side edges forming a compartment closed at three sides and having an opening adjacent the inner end of said additional wall, said superimposed wall having a window opening formed therein companion to said first mentioned window opening.

BETTY MAIER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 181,956 Mahedy Sept. 5, 1876 1,136,598 Gould Apr. 20, 1915 2,422,235 Greene June 17, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date Switzerland May 2, 1938 

